Last week AMIGOS made the transition to a new website and “look and feel.” We know that many of you who have been a part of AMIGOS for many years may be asking why we are changing.

Here are some of the top reasons:

Our target population (young people) relies 100% on their mobile phones and we must be accessible to them via the website and social media. Our new website is mobile and tablet friendly.

Our complex organizational structure makes joining AMIGOS confusing for the outsider. In order to avoid losing potential applicants, we need clear language and one simple pathway for young people to apply, regardless of whether they join through a chapter or our headquarters in Houston.

We must compete. The competition in our field is real, and the market is crowded. Our look and feel was outdated and paled in comparison to our competition.

Additionally, some of you may be asking why the logo change when the old one was so good? There was much deliberation over the decision to modify the logo. Ultimately, the goal of changing the logo was to make it work for social media profiles, which are square. The wide rectangle shape of the past logo did not fit into those squares, and the full name below became too small to read. Our goal was to do a “refresh” rather than a full overhaul. We maintained a script logo in order to stay close to the past while meeting the demands of today’s social media communication platforms.

The primary goal of the new AMIGOS brand and website is to provide a clear and compelling path for young people to learn about AMIGOS and to make it easy to sign up. Additional goals are to connect with alumni and supporters.

Our new brand and higher quality website reflect the power of our programs. The AMIGOS commitment to youth leadership, community-led programming, and full immersion experiences is unparalleled. The leadership experience of AMIGOS goes beyond the imaginable. We are experienced, and we are proud of our longstanding record of building international service and leadership programs through partnerships with development organizations throughout the Americas.

Here are some of the highlights of what to expect on the new website over the coming weeks and months:

AMIGOS blog: We are designing a new blog, which will link from the home page and will be a place where we can share alumni stories, highlights from our programs, and information about leadership and service programming.

Alumni central: We will be enhancing the alumni section over the next few weeks. Here we will invite alumni to connect with us on LinkedIn and update their contact info. We will also feature opportunities to get involved with AMIGOS, share stories, and advertise alumni events around the country.

Applying to AMIGOS: The application process is being simplified to improve the user experience. There is one button to apply from the home page, which prompts an applicant to choose to apply through a a chapter or the AMIGOS headquarters. The new application will go live in early September.

Apply 365 days a year: The new application will also be open year round. When our chapters finish recruiting, our staff will respond to leads and applicants so that we stay responsive and in communication with prospective participants throughout the year.

Supporting AMIGOS is made easy: Donors can now visit a single page to support a chapter, the national office, on behalf of a participant, or in honor of an individual. Our alumni and friends can also support us by becoming monthly or legacy donors.

We hope this answers any questions you have about our new site and look. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions!